If you’re an expat living in Italy with children, you may be eligible for the Assegno Unico e Universale (AUU), Italy’s monthly child benefit. It helps with the cost of raising children up to age 21, and with no age limit for children with disabilities. You can claim it even if you don’t file an ISEE (the Italian household income and assets statement). Without one you receive the minimum amount, and the benefit is not taxed.
This guide walks you through claiming the minimum Assegno Unico step by step, and shows what you can expect to receive in 2026. All figures come from INPS, the Italian social security agency, and are linked at the end.
What is the Assegno Unico?
The Assegno Unico e Universale is a monthly payment from INPS for each dependent child. It started in March 2022 and replaced several older benefits, including the old family allowances, the baby bonus (bonus bebè) and the tax deductions for children under 21. It’s called “universal” because every eligible family gets at least the minimum amount, whatever its income.
If you submit an ISEE, you may receive more, up to €203.80 a month per child under 18 in 2026. It’s not mandatory, though. Without an ISEE, or with an ISEE of €46,582.71 or more, you receive the minimum amounts shown below.
Who can apply?
According to INPS, the parent applying must meet all of these requirements when applying and for as long as they receive the benefit:
- Italian or EU citizenship, or a valid residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) for non-EU citizens.
- Be subject to income tax in Italy.
- Be resident in Italy, or work in Italy while enrolled in a mandatory social security scheme with contributions up to date. For workers who aren’t resident in Italy, the benefit is paid in proportion to the period worked in Italy.
The benefit is paid for each child under 18, starting from the seventh month of pregnancy for newborns. For children aged 18 to 20, it’s paid if they earn less than €8,000 a year and are studying or in training, doing an internship or working, registered as unemployed and looking for work, or doing the universal civil service. There’s no age limit for children with disabilities. Parents and children each need a codice fiscale.
Why you don’t need to file an ISEE
The ISEE measures your household’s income and assets and is used to calculate means-tested benefits. Filing one can increase your Assegno Unico, but you can skip it entirely and still receive the minimum. That’s often the most practical option if you’ve just arrived in Italy, if your income or assets would put you above the top ISEE band anyway, or if you’d rather avoid the paperwork.
From 2026, INPS uses a new version of the ISEE for family benefits, which applies to the Assegno Unico from March 2026. If you think your household would qualify for more than the minimum, a CAF (tax assistance center) can prepare the ISEE for you, or you can request a pre-filled one on the INPS ISEE portal.
Step by step: how to apply for the minimum Assegno Unico
- Gather what you need: a digital identity (SPID, CIE or CNS) to log in to INPS, the codice fiscale of each parent and each child, an IBAN for the payment, and, for non-EU citizens, a valid permesso di soggiorno. The IBAN can be a bank or postal account, a savings book, or a card with its own IBAN.
- Log in: go to the Assegno Unico page on the INPS website, choose to use the service (Utilizza il servizio), and sign in with your digital identity. You can also apply through the INPS Mobile app.
- Fill in the application: enter the details of the parents and children and choose how the payment is split. One parent can receive the full amount, or it can be split 50/50 between parents who share parental responsibility. When asked about the ISEE, apply without one.
- Submit and keep the receipt: check everything, submit, and save the confirmation.
If you’d rather not apply online, a patronato (a free welfare advice office) can file it for you, or you can call INPS on 803 164 from a landline (free) or 06 164 164 from a mobile (charged at your operator’s rates).
When payments start
Applications submitted between 1 March and 30 June are paid with arrears back to March of that year. Applications submitted after 30 June are paid from the month after you apply.
How much you’ll receive without an ISEE in 2026
INPS updates the amounts every January for inflation. For 2026 they rose by 1.4% (INPS circular no. 7 of 30 January 2026). These are the monthly minimums, which apply if you don’t submit an ISEE:
| Situation | Monthly amount in 2026, no ISEE |
|---|---|
| Each child under 18 | €58.30 |
| Each child aged 18-20 (who meets the conditions above) | €29.10 |
| Child under 1 year old | +50% of the child’s amount (so €87.45 in total) |
| Each child after the second | +€17.40 |
| Families with four or more children | +€150 per family |
| Mother under 21 | +€23.30 per child |
| Child with a disability (under 21) | +€99.10 to €122.30, depending on severity |
| Both parents working | €0 without an ISEE (up to €34.90 with a qualifying ISEE) |
Examples
- One child aged five: €58.30 a month.
- Two children aged five and two: 2 × €58.30 = €116.60 a month.
- Three children aged six, three and eight months: €58.30 + €58.30 + €87.45 (the baby, including the under-one increase) + €17.40 (third child) = €221.45 a month.
- Four children aged seven, five, three and eighteen months: 4 × €58.30 + 2 × €17.40 (third and fourth child) + €150 (four or more children) = €418.00 a month.
These examples assume no disability supplements and a mother aged 21 or over. Your own amount is shown in your INPS application once it’s processed.
Tips for expats
- Splitting the payment: if both parents share parental responsibility, you can ask for a 50/50 split, either when you apply or later. The second parent’s share starts the month after the choice is registered.
- Renewals: if you’re resident in Italy and your application has been accepted, INPS keeps paying it automatically each year, so you don’t need to reapply. You do need to report changes, such as the birth of another child, in the application. Workers who aren’t resident in Italy must reapply each year from 1 March.
- If you later file an ISEE: without a valid ISEE, INPS pays the minimum from March each year. If you submit the DSU (the form that produces the ISEE) by 30 June, INPS recalculates and pays the difference back to March.
- Other benefits: the Assegno Unico doesn’t reduce the INPS Bonus Nido for nursery fees. It’s also compatible with regional and municipal child benefits. For what a family actually spends here, see our cost of living in Puglia for families, and for nursery options, our guide to daycare centers in Lecce.
Is the Assegno Unico taxable?
No. INPS confirms that the Assegno Unico doesn’t count toward your total income for IRPEF (Italian income tax) purposes.
Sources
- INPS, Assegno unico e universale per i figli a carico (service page, updated 10 September 2026): eligibility, how to apply, start dates.
- INPS circular no. 7 of 30 January 2026 and its Annex 1 table of 2026 amounts.
- INPS news, 2 February 2026: automatic continuation, the new ISEE and the 30 June deadline.